Address standardization involves rewriting addresses in a standard format. This standardization is helpful both in ensuring address accuracy and in deleting duplicate addresses from one or more databases. Currently existing systems for developing standard addresses are deficient in multiple respects and often will erroneously translate two addresses which are actually the same address, written slightly differently, into entirely different addresses. Alternatively, existing systems may erroneously translate two addresses, which are actually different, into the same address, thus losing the distinctions between the two addresses. Undesirable consequences of using inaccurate and duplicate addresses include unnecessary mailing costs, excess returned mail, loss of target customers, and customer annoyance.
For example, currently existing systems often fail to adequately differentiate between designations such as “Street”, “Road”, “Place”, “Drive”, “Avenue”, “Boulevard”, “Court”, “Circle”, etc. Often localities may have identical addresses with the exception of these designations. Thus, standardization may erroneously cause “360 Jones Ford Road” to be standardized to the same address as “360 Jones Ford Place”.
Additionally, currently existing system often fail to differentiate adequately between directions, e.g. “East”, “West”, “NW”, “SE”, etc. Thus, two addresses located in different quadrants of a city may be erroneously standardized to the same address.
Furthermore, existing systems have difficulty accurately identifying numbered streets as the same street when the numbers are expressed differently. For example, existing systems may incorrectly characterize “First St.” as a different location than “1st St.”.
Existing systems additionally have difficulties with processing of long addresses. The existing systems may cut off portions of the address and the portions deleted may be critical to identifying and standardizing the address.
A further deficiency of existing systems involves inefficient coding that slows down computer processing and consumes excessive computing resources. For example, rather than compact code, existing systems often utilize a series of “If” “then” “Else” statements rather than more streamlined approaches.
Accordingly, a more efficient system of address standardization is desired that efficiently processes addresses for standardization and overcomes the deficiencies inherent in pre-existing systems. A system is needed that processes addresses written in multiple different ways to reach a conclusion that identifies that the addresses actually refer to the same place.